[extropy-chat] balloon stations at the edge of space

[Mike Lorrey]

--- John K Clark <jonkc at att.net> wrote:
> "Mike Lorrey" <mlorrey at yahoo.com> Wrote:
> 
> >Vacuum balloons, while a nice SF fantasy, are not physically
> practical
> 
> How about using a conventional balloon to get up to 150,000 feet or
> so and
> then start your vacuum pump to get rid of the air in the vacuum
> balloon. It
> wouldn't have to be nearly as strong or heavy as one launched at sea
> level.

Yeah, I thought of that after posting. Kind of a two stage launcher.
However, that is only going to get you maybe to 200k or 250k feet,
maybe 300 if you are lucky. You are still not at orbital velocity or at
400k alt, the true start of space (i.e. the point at which an airspeed
indicator reads 0 even when going at 25 machs.)

=====
Mike Lorrey
Chairman, Free Town Land Development
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                         -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=Sadomikeyism


	
		
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